Verbena plant named &#39;INVEBPUTOW&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Invebputow’, characterized by its upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and inflorescences of purple violet-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Botanical designation: Verbena bonariensis×Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘INVEBPUTOW’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena bonariensis×Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Invebputow’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Heidesheim, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright freely-branching Verbena plants with thick stems and large sterile flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2011 in Heidesheim, Germany of an unidentified proprietary seedling selection of Verbena bonariensis, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number Vb10-1000-9, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and first selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heidesheim, Germany in May, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany since September, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Invebputow’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Invebputow’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Inflorescences of purple violet-colored flowers that are held         above and beyond the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have thicker stems than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena flower have not been observed to         produce seed whereas plants of the female parent selection         produce numerous seeds.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more upright than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena are more freely branching than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena bonariensis ‘Little One’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,124. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bonsall, Calif., plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of ‘Little One’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were taller than plants of ‘Little         One’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Little One’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Little One’.     -   4. Plants of the new Verbena had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Little One’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph on the right of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Invebputow’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the left of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Invebputow’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in 10-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Bonsall, Calif. and under cultural practices typical of commercial potted Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 29° C., night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched one time and were eight weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena bonariensis×Verbena hybrida     ‘Invebputow’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary seedling             selection of Verbena bonariensis, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number Vb10-1000-9, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time initiate roots, summer.—About five to seven days at day             temperatures averaging 27° C. and night temperatures             averaging 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven to nine days at             day and night temperatures averaging 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 21 to 23 days             at day temperatures averaging 27° C. and night temperatures             averaging 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 28 to 30 days             at day temperatures averaging 18° C. and night temperatures             averaging 16° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium in density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright plant habit; freely             branching habit with about eight primary lateral branches             developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch             development; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 37 cm.         -   Plant diameter (spread).—About 26 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 37 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 146A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 5.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate to slightly auriculate; clasping.         -   Margin.—Irregularly crenate, erose.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Pubescent; coarse and stiff hairs;             hirsutulous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent, minute.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A;             venation, close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 146B; venation, close to 148C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Sessile salverform flowers             arranged in compact rounded compound corymbs; flowers face             upward or outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 62             flowers developing per primary inflorescence and about 20             flowers per secondary inflorescences.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             spring through the summer in California; early flowering             habit, plants begin flowering about six weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about four to five days on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 8 mm.         -   Throat diameter.—Less than 1 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 5 mm.         -   Tube diameter.—Less than 1 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Elongated lanceolate. Color: Close to 85A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals             fused towards the base into a narrow tube. Petal lobe             length: About 1 mm. Petal lobe width: About 1 mm. Petal lobe             shape: Round. Petal lobe apex: Rounded to shallowly             emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petal luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Matte. Throat texture: Pubescent, minute.             Tube texture: Pubescent, minute. Color: Petal, when opening,             upper surface: Close to N82B. Petal, when opening, lower             surface: Close to 85C. Petal, fully opened, upper surface:             Close to N82C; with development, color becoming closer to             85D. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 85B;             venation, close to 85D. Throat: Close to 85D. Tube: Close to             85C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused sepals fused             towards the base into a narrow tube. Sepal length: About             2 mm. Sepal width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly             lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, minute. Sepal             color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncles: About 5.4 cm. Length,             axillary peduncles: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect, terminal peduncles: Erect. Aspect,             axillary peduncles: About 45° to 55° from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent, minute. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: Less than 1 mm; mostly adnate to throat.             Filament color: Close to NN155D. Anther shape: Rounded.             Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 1B.             Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per             flower. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded.             Stigma color: Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.5 cm.             Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 144C.         -   Fruits and seeds.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed on plants of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 1° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Invebputow’ as illustrated and described. 